"I believewe're on a fool's errand," remarked Fielding to the midshipman.
They were on the bridge; Drake had turned in. It was now two bells of the middle watch (1 a.m.), and theFromewas still heading westward as fast as her motors could impart power to the three undamaged propellers. Beyond the rhythmical purr of the engines, the "swish" of the water as the destroyer's knife-like bow cleft the waves, and the mournful slatting of the signal halliards against the mast, hardly a sound was audible.
"Why, sir?" asked Cardyke, lowering his night-glasses, and stepping behind the shelter of the "storm-dodgers."
"Why—because I think we are. We ought to have overhauled our quarry hours ago—certainly before sunset. With lights out, they might easily alter course, and let us run by them like a blind man past a notice to trespassers. What's more, we're right out of the beaten track. All up-Channel traffic will be heading for St. Catherine's light, and we're well to the south'ard of the Start by now.
"It's a cool bit of work, snapping up a ship almost in sight of Portsmouth, and in the English Channel, too," remarked Cardyke.
"Yes, and it's the audacity of it all that gives the beggars a chance of success. But what can be the object of a tramp lumbering along with a disabled cruiser in tow? She'll be spotted at sunrise, mark my words; but I'm afraid theFromewon't have a look in. Well?"
The monosyllable was addressed to a seaman who had scaled the bridge-ladder.
"Message, sir; wireless," replied the man, laconically.
"H'm!" grumbled Fielding, taking the slip of paper. "The admiral wants to know our position, I suppose. That will mean a recall, and a wigging for not carrying out orders. I wish we'd crippled the wireless for a few hours. Take this, Cardyke, and see what it's all about."
The midshipman took the paper, and entered the little chart-room. The next instant he was by the sub.'s side.
"She's at it again," he exclaimed. "Here's an urgent call for assistance from ss.Yosen Maru, lat. 50-2-14 N., long. 3-45-9 W., steaming NNE.1/4E. Requires urgent assistance. Pursued and fired upon by large unknown vessel. How's that?"
"Forty miles off, and a general call will bring a dozen vessels to her assistance," replied Fielding, gloomily. "Cut below and inform Drake."
Cardyke bounded down the steep ladder, and made his way to the wardroom. The lieutenant was awake in a moment.
"We've been tricked," he exclaimed. "But we'll be in time yet. Pass the word for Mr. Black."
Drake was soon on the bridge, and theFrome'scourse was altered towards the position given by theYosen Maru. As soon as Black, the gunner, came on deck, orders were given to clear for action.
The wireless operator repeatedly called up the vessel in distress, which was known to be a Japanese liner bound for London. But beyond the first call for aid no message came from the threatened vessel. The ominous silence told its own tale.
With the spray flying in cascades right over the fore-bridge, for the wind was now dead ahead, theFromethrashed her way through the darkness. An hour and a half passed, then—
"Rocket, throwing blue and red stars, sir," announced one of the men stationed on the bridge.
"Whither away?"
"Dead ahead, sir. There's another."
"That's theYosen Maru, sure enough," exclaimed Drake. "We'll be in time, after all."
The grey dawn was paling in the eastern sky as theFromeeased down within a cable's length of the huge Japanese liner, and a couple of the destroyer's boats were promptly lowered and manned, Fielding being in charge of one, and Cardyke of the other.
It was soon evident that theYosen Maruwas helpless and drifting broadside on to the fairly stiff breeze. Her rudder had been shot away, and a gaping hole under her counter, a few feet above the waterline, showed that a shot had been fired with disastrous result. Her accommodation ladder had been lowered, and no attempt had been made to haul it up again, so towards this means of entry the destroyer's boats gave way.
Fielding was the first to board, and at the head of the ladder was met by a group of calm, imperturbable Oriental officers.
"We have been boarded by pirates, sir," announced one of the Japanese, in excellent English. "A large cruiser intercepted us and ordered us to heave-to. We asked the reason, and in reply a shot was fired across our bows, and another shattered our rudder. Under the circumstances we could do nothing more than ease down. We were boarded by a boat's crew, and the villain in charge demanded to see our papers, pointing revolvers at the passengers and crew to keep them intimidated. Our purser was compelled to hand over the whole of the bullion in the strong-room, to the value of three hundred thousand yen, some of our stores and provisions were stolen, and ten of our first-class passengers, including General Oki, who is on a mission to the British Court, and Mr. Hokosuka, the eminent financier of Nagasaki, were taken out of the ship. Finally having done considerable damage in our engine-room by means of a charge of dynamite, the rascals returned to their ship, and steamed off."
"Was the pirate ship alone?" asked Fielding. "And did she clear off under her own steam?"
"Certainly," replied the Japanese officer. "She headed S.S.W., going about twenty knots, as far as I could judge."
"I told you we'd been fooled," exclaimed the sub. to Cardyke. "TheImpregnablewas not towed away—she managed to raise steam, and apparently did very well. I'd like to have a few moments with the skipper of theSteephill Castle. The lying rogue is more than likely in league with these up-to-date pirates."
"Well, gentlemen," continued Fielding, turning to the officers of theYosen Maru, "we had better be off, and try to overhaul the pirate vessel. We can do very little by way of assistance to your ship, I fear."
"Quite true," replied the spokesman. "The weather is moderate, and we have plenty of sea-room. Before they put our wireless out of gear we heard that the British cruiserDionysiuswas coming to our aid, as well as the Red Star linerScandinavia."
"Then you'll be well looked after," said the sub. And saluting the Japanese officers, he descended the accommodation ladder.
"Those rascals are not wanting in cool cheek,—holding the passengers as hostages, I suppose," commented Drake, when Fielding had made his report. "Well, I suppose we must call up Portsmouth, and inform the admiral of what has occurred. But there's nothing to prevent us overhauling theImpregnable. At all events I'll have a shot at it."
This was Drake's chief fault: he was overanxious to make an individual score. The glory of capturing theImpregnablewas to be theFrome's, if possible. The idea of co-operation with the other British destroyers was distasteful to him. "Alone I did it" was to be his motto, the "I" including the officers and crew of the little craft under his command.
As fast as her three undamaged propellers could drive her theFrometore in the direction the pirate cruiser was supposed to have taken. Eagerly glasses were brought to bear upon the horizon, in the hope of discerning a cloud of smoke—the oil-laden vapour from theImpregnable'sliquid fuel.
At eight bells Fielding and Cardyke turned in for a well-earned rest but their sleep was soon to be rudely disturbed. Just before noon the slumbering officers were aroused by a messenger with the news that theImpregnablehad been sighted.
"No mistake this time, I hope, sir?" asked the sub., as he swung himself up the bridge-ladder three steps at a time.
"That's the oldImpregnable," asserted the lieutenant-commander, confidently. "The question is how the dickens are we to do the trick? We can't very well use the quick-firers, or we may bowl over some of the Japanese hostages. For the same reason we dare not let loose a torpedo."
"We can hail her, sir, and demand her surrender. If she refuses we must hang on, call up the other destroyers to our assistance, and take forcible possession of her."
"Do you think they'll open fire, sir?" asked Cardyke, eagerly.
"Hardly likely, you young fire-eater," replied Drake, with a grim smile. "They won't risk going so far. They know we have wireless; but if they thought they could do the trick without witnesses they wouldn't hesitate to try and sink us."
"They didn't sink theYosen Maru."
"No; that strengthens my opinion that they won't go to extreme measures. There was none of the cut-throat, walk-the-plank style of the eighteenth-century pirate about them. No, I don't anticipate much difficulty but we'll be prepared."
An hour later theFromewas only a mile astern from her chase. TheImpregnable'sspeed was visibly diminishing.
"They've a cool cheek, by Jove!" ejaculated Fielding. "They've actually painted another name on her."
"Yes," agreed Drake, who, like his subordinate, was making good use of his binoculars. "It'sIndependencia. That's Spanish, I believe."
"They're hoisting their colours," continued the sub. "A Brazilian ensign. Won't do, my hearties. You can't bluff us."
"She's slowed down, sir," exclaimed Cardyke. "Her propellers are going astern."
"What ship is that?" shouted Drake through a megaphone, as theFromeslowed down at cable's length on theIndependencia'sstarboard quarter.
"Brazilian cruiserIndependencia, from Cherbourg for Bahia Blanca," was the reply.
"A bit out of your course, old man," muttered Drake. "Stand by, we are sending a boat."
"For why? We want no communication."
"Then you'll have to want. If you give us any trouble we'll blow you out of the water," and the lieutenant pointed significantly towards the foremost torpedo-tube, around which its crew were standing ready to launch home the deadly weapon.
It was mere bluff on Drake's part. He dared not, as he had said, let loose a torpedo, and the weapon was only a practice one, its war-head being stowed away below. But to Drake's satisfaction the captain of the pirate-cruiser agreed to receive the boat.
"That's good!" ejaculated Drake. "Now, Fielding, off you go. Round up their gold-braided gentry and lock them up in the chart-room. Take possession of the bridge, and make them follow in our wake. They are only milk and water pirates, after all."
"Am I to take away the whaler, sir?" asked Cardyke.
"Very good. But when Mr. Fielding has taken the necessary steps to secure control over the prize, you will return—you understand? Good—now look alive, or we'll have someone else's finger in the pie." And Drake gave a hasty, comprehensive glance astern, heaving a sigh of relief that the horizon was unobscured. Here was theFrome'schance, he meant to make good use of it.
The mid. was wearing his dirk—the practically useless emblem of authority—and in addition he buckled on a holster containing a Service revolver. Both boats' crews, armed with rifles and bayonets—for the old British cutlass that worked such doughty deeds in days gone by is now a thing of the past—tumbled into the little craft as they lay alongside.
"Give way!" ordered Fielding, and the order was repeated by Cardyke in the whaler.
With less than a dozen yards separating the two boats the boarders pulled lustily towards the gigantic cruiser as she lay rising and falling slightly to the Channel rollers.
There was no accommodation ladder, that article having been unshipped before the vessel was put up for sale, so Fielding's boat ran alongside the starboard quarter, where a number of "chocks" afforded a rough and ready sort of ladder. The bow-man laid hold of a torpedo-boom bracket with his boathook, and the sub. prepared to ascend, Cardyke's craft lying just astern.
On theIndependencia'sdeck no one was visible save a quartermaster who was leaning over the stanchion-rails. Having no man-ropes to assist him, Fielding's task was an awkward, not to say dangerous, one. He was half-way up the thirty-odd feet of freeboard, with a couple of bluejackets at his heels, when a noose rope was adroitly thrown over his shoulders, and jerked tight. Simultaneously a lariat descended into the whaler, caught Cardyke round the waist, and before any of his men could prevent it, the mid. was jerked up into the air.
With a crash two pieces of iron were dropped into the boats, staving out their garboards.
The pirate cruiser's propellers began to churn the water, and theIndependenciagathered way. The bow-man of each boat endeavoured to secure a hold, but the drag of the water-logged craft was too great.
image: 05_noose.jpg
image: 05_noose.jpg
[Illustration: A NOOSE WAS ADROITLY THROWN OVER HIS SHOULDERS AND JERKED TIGHT.]
[Illustration: A NOOSE WAS ADROITLY THROWN OVER HIS SHOULDERS AND JERKED TIGHT.]
The predicament was an ignominious one. The boats' crews were swimming around their swamped boats, their officers were prisoners in the hands of the men they had hoped to capture, and theFrome, ere she could give chase, had to pick up the immersed bluejackets.
Meanwhile, theIndependencia, steaming at twenty knots, was rapidly leaving the destroyer astern, while Drake could only shake his fist in impotent rage.
Midshipman Cardykewas soon hauled upon the quarter-deck of the pirate cruiser, and, in spite of his struggles, was secured by half-a-dozen ruffians. His revolver and dirk were taken from him, then he was lashed to one of the quarter davits, and left in that ignominious position to reflect upon the circumstances under which he had been snared.
He knew that his captors had a definite object in securing him to the davit. He was in full view of theFrome, and his late comrades could easily distinguish him through their binoculars. A hasty glance over his shoulder revealed the fact that there were several of the passengers of theYosen Maru, and some of the crew of the Dutch tugs, in equally exposed positions. It was obviously intended that they were placed there in order to prevent the British destroyer from opening fire upon her gigantic antagonist.
In the meantime Fielding was causing his captors a good deal of trouble. He had contrived to take a turn round a projection on the ship's side with the line that had caught him; and although his assailants hauled on the rope till it was on the point of breaking, they could not succeed in landing their bag. Neither could the sub. disengage himself from the toils of the running bowline, for his idea was to slip out of the noose and cast himself into the sea, trusting to be picked up by his own craft.
As for the two men who had followed him, one had leapt back into the swamped whaler. The other stuck gamely to his superior, and Fielding, looking down, recognised the man as Tom Hardy, the coxswain of his boat.
"Get out of this, Hardy," exclaimed the sub., breathlessly. "Strike out for it. TheFromewill pick you up."
"Orders is orders, sir," replied Hardy. "You said as how I was to follow you, and here I am. Besides, I'm not much of a hand at swimming, sir."
"All right!" said Fielding, grimly. "But you'll find yourself in a bit of a fix."
The sub. appreciated the coxswain's devotion; for Hardy was an excellent swimmer in spite of his statement to the contrary, and was willingly surrendering his chance of escaping from the doubtful hospitality of the pirate crew.
All the while there was an incessant jabbering going on above, the Dagoes shouting and dancing about on deck, enraged at the stubbornness of their principal captive.
"Can you get at my revolver, Hardy?" asked the sub., who had been vainly attempting to free his arms sufficiently to reach the weapon in his holster.
"I'll try, sir; but what for? They'll plug you, sir, sure as fate."
"We'll put a bullet through this line, and swim for it."
"What about Mr. Cardyke, sir?"
"Cardyke? Has he been caught too? That alters the case. Where is he?"
"Hauled aboard."
"I hope the villains haven't hurt him. Look here, Hardy, I'm going to make a dash up and over the side. Follow me as smartly as you can. Good heavens! What have they done to young Cardyke?"
For, happening to look up, Fielding saw the mid. lashed to the davit. Thinking that the pirates were about to drop the lad, bound as he was, over the side, the sub. was seized with a sudden and desperate resolution.
The men on deck had desisted hauling upon the rope. With a smart jerk Fielding unhitched it from the eyebolt that had proved such a stumbling block to his captors, then scrambled swiftly and agilely up the remaining distance of freeboard.
In a trice he was over the stanchions, and before the olive-coloured mob could realise it, the sub. was in the midst of them, hitting out with his fists with terrific force. In this he was ably seconded by the coxswain, and for a few moments it seemed as if the two Britishers would clear the quarter-deck.
The Dagoes rallied, and, unfortunately for Fielding, although he had freed his arms from the bowline, the noose had slipped as far as his ankles. A lithe and muscular Algerine seized the end of the rope, and Fielding, his legs literally jerked from under him, fell heavily on the deck.
For another fifteen seconds Hardy stood over the prostrate body of his officer, holding out like a bersark. Luckily the sub. had not used his revolver, nor had Hardy drawn his bayonet. The pirates seemed unwilling to do injury to the officer, but their consideration was not extended towards the gallant and devoted bluejacket. A Spaniard, advancing stealthily from behind, dealt the coxswain a heavy blow across the head with a hand-spike, and Hardy fell to the deck.
"You no play fool wid me. Me Juan Cervillo, capitan ob dis ship," announced the head of the lawless mob, standing in a tragedian's attitude, with arms folded and chest expanded, before the overpowered sub. "You jus' behave. No hurt."
Fielding did not reply. He was humiliated. One thing he regretted in particular was that in his headlong rush his iron knuckles had not come in contact with Cervillo's sleek, oily features.
At a word from the pirate captain the sub. was carried up to the after-bridge, and ignominiously secured to a semaphore post. Here he was left to enjoy his surroundings as best he might, and reflect upon his undignified position.
Meanwhile some of the crew were holding a consultation as to what was to be done with the still unconscious Hardy. Some advocated dropping him overboard, others, judging the British bluejacket by the low standard set up by the renegade petty officer who acted as quartermaster, were of the opinion that if the coxswain recovered from the crack over the head he might become a useful member of the crew. So Hardy was lifted and unceremoniously carried for'ard.
With anxious gaze Cardyke watched the rapidly receding destroyer. He could see her manoeuvring slowly through the water, her two remaining boats being engaged in the work of picking up the swimmers. Drake was paying dearly for his disinclination for co-operation: two officers and the coxswain missing, two boats and the men's rifles hopelessly lost, and his reputation very much at stake.
"I wish theFromewould blow this vessel out of the water," thought the mid., but instantly it occurred to him to wonder what would happen to Fielding and the rest of the captives if the destroyer did open fire. Beyond doing damage to the unarmoured portion of the pirate ship, theFrome'scomparatively light ordnance would make little or no impression upon her gigantic antagonist.
"She's following us, by Jove!" exclaimed the mid. "I wish I had a pair of binoculars, and was able to use them. I wonder what Drake is going to do?"
Yes, theFromewas tearing along, yet gaining slowly, for the stokers of theIndependenciawere toiling their hardest, pumping crude petroleum into the complex array of burners. Columns of black smoke, tinged with flame, shot from the tall funnels of the cruiser. Every possible inch that could be got out of her was made use of. Her neglected engines were beginning to run more smoothly. She might hold her own, or might even shake off the pursuing destroyer.
The midshipman could not help noticing the lack of discipline amongst the motley crew. Seamen, with a couple of revolvers stuck in their belts, and cigars in their mouths, would stroll aimlessly along the quarter-deck, give a glance at the British destroyer, and curtly question their officers as to the position of affairs. Some of the latter were not above accepting cigars and cigarettes from the men. The officers were decked out in gaudy uniforms, while the men wore coarse canvas jumpers and trousers. Some wore canvas shoes, others rope-soled boots, but the majority went bare-footed. The only person who seemed to be able to exercise any real authority was Juan Cervillo.
Nearer and nearer drew theFrometill she was but a couple of miles astern, steering a course well on theIndependencia'sport quarter, and studiously avoiding her wake. The destroyer did not court further trouble by running over a grass hawser or other obstruction purposely thrown over by the chased ship.
Cardyke felt much easier in his mind when he saw that theFromewas gaining. He had such a supreme faith in his comrades that he felt certain that rescue was merely the question of a few hours at the very outside. Of what was to be done to effect this desirable business he had no idea; but it would be managed all right. Before sunset he would be having dinner in the destroyer's wardroom.
Presently Cervillo climbed up to the after-bridge, and, taking his stand close to where Fielding was secured, watched the destroyer through a telescope. After a lengthy examination he called to one of his officers, who in turn gave voluminous directions to a party of seamen. In a leisurely manner they began to bring up ammunition for some of the quick-firers mounted amidships on the starboard side of the ship.
Cardyke could see that the muzzles were depressed and trained slightly abaft the beam; but unless the cruiser ported her helm it would be a matter of impossibility to fire upon her pursuer.
Bang! A sharp report, followed by a shrill screech of the projectile, announced that theFromehad opened fire with one of her foremost guns. The missile struck the water at less than two hundred yards to starboard, threw up a column of water thirty feet in the air, and ricochetted thrice ere it dipped for the last time.
It was purposely aimed wide of the chase, but it showed that the destroyer meant business.
Unswervingly theIndependenciakept her course; theFromesettled down to the same rate, and kept her station at less than eight hundred yards on the cruiser's quarter. Four more shots came from the British destroyer, then she ceased firing, holding doggedly on to the chase. The prominent positions occupied by the pirates' hostages rendered shell fire upon theIndependenciaout of the question, and Juan Cervillo knew that for the time being he held the whip hand.
But the tenacious dogging of his vessel by the British destroyer was a serious business. Unless pursuit could be shaken off, theFrome, by the aid of the wireless, would bring a cordon round the modern buccaneer long before she had done anything like the damage she wished to do. Already, no doubt, other warships were steaming under forced draught to settle accounts with the filibustered battle-cruiser. TheFromemust be put out of the running.
It was now half-an-hour after sunset. The horizon was quite uninterrupted, grey sea met grey sky in an unbroken line, and the outlook promised dirty weather on the morrow.
Having satisfied himself that no other vessel was in sight, Cervillo descended from the after-bridge and entered the conning-tower. An order to the quartermaster made that worthy put the steam steering-gear hard over, and as theIndependenciaswung round at right angles to her former course, one of the quick-firers let fly a plugged shell.
Cervillo's idea was merely to cripple the destroyer by sending a non-explosive shell through her engine-room. He was very chary of going to extreme measures, not that he was averse to committing murder, but he had a wholesome respect for the British Navy. The partial disablement of theFromewould give him another start in his piratical career. But unfortunately Cervillo's action had far more disastrous effect than he had anticipated.
The missile sheared its way through the thin steel plating of the destroyer like an arrow fired through a sheet of brown paper. It struck one of the cylinders of the motors, fracturing it into fifty pieces. The petrol caught fire, and, leaping in a cascade of flame, ignited the main tanks in the double bottom.
The motors stopped spasmodically. The engineer-lieutenant and his staff had barely time to rush through the small manhole and gain the deck ere the 'midships section of the ill-fatedFromewas a mass of flames. With the utmost discipline the crew lowered the remaining boats, and, deeply laden, they pushed off, leaving Drake, the gunner, and about a score of the crew clustered for'ard. Luckily the destroyer kept head to wind, which, in a manner, preserved those on the fo'c'sle from being slowly roasted to death.
Horror-stricken, Cardyke watched the enactment of the tragedy. By the glare of the burning petrol, that shot skywards to a height of over one hundred feet, he could see the boats, deeply laden, lying on their oars, and the knot of brave men gathered around their rash but intrepid commander.
Suddenly there was an explosion as the sea burst through the heated plating. The pillar of flame died out, stifled in the cloud of smoke and steam, but the burning petrol floating on the water, spread in all directions, spurts of fire rising and falling intermittently till darkness and the increased distance hid the awful scene from the midshipman's view.
Juan Cervillowas completely taken aback at the result of the one shot. It had put him absolutely beyond the pale. Piracy without bloodshed was serious enough in all conscience, but to have gone to this extent meant that capture would, without doubt, end in ignominious death at the hands of the executioner. Not that he would allow himself to be captured if it could possibly be avoided. He had been so far successful. Could he but carry out his plans for the next few days there was a probability that theIndependenciamight be able to slip away from her pursuers, and land his crew with their ill-gotten booty in some unfrequented place, where they might make their way in individual parties to one of the lawless South American republics.
All need for keeping the hostages on deck was for the time being at an end. The Dutchmen were marched off down below, in a secure place of confinement on the orlop-deck, while Fielding and Cardyke found themselves in a cabin on the half-deck in company with General Oki, Mr. Hokosuka, and a Japanese scientist named Mukyima, The cabin was wretchedly furnished, having been the quarters of a former watch-keeper while the ship was awaiting sale. There was a cracked looking-glass, iron wash-basin and stand, a folding-table fixed to the bulkhead, and a few camp-chairs.
The three Japanese were already in the cabin when Fielding and the mid. were unceremoniously thrust in and the door locked behind them. The former rose and saluted the new arrivals courteously, but by no expression did they depart from the characteristic imperturbability of the Asiatic.
"Good evening, gentlemen!" exclaimed Fielding, thinking this manner of salutation was the best way to ascertain whether the Japanese hostages spoke English.
"Good evening," replied General Oki. "We are sorry we cannot exchange our honourable salutations in an atmosphere more auspicious."
"We're glad you speak English," said the sub. "We do not understand Japanese—I have never been in the Far East."
"I am the only one of three who can speak the tongue of our illustrious allies and instructors in naval science and warfare," continued the Japanese general. "Mr. Hokosuka here does, it is a veracity, speak few English words. Mr. Mukyima, to the sorrow of his ancestors, has taken no stride to overpower your tongue."
"We are all in a bit of a hole," remarked the sub., gravely. "Our destroyer, theFrome, boarded theYosen Marua few hours ago and learnt of your predicament. Unfortunately in attempting to capture this pirate vessel, and incidentally to effect your rescue, we fell into the hands of these rascals."
"My sympathies with your deplorable misfortune," remarked Oki.
"An' me, too," added Hokosuka.
"Thanks," replied Fielding, briefly; then after a pause he continued, "What are these rascals going to do with us, I wonder?"
"Pirate hold us to ransom for sum of one million yen," said the Japanese, as calmly as an Englishman would announce how much an ounce he paid for his tobacco. "I pay not—Hokosuka he pay not—Mukyima he pay not."
"I suppose this rascal Cervillo will try and squeeze a tidy sum out of our relations on our account," said the sub., turning to Cardyke. "He'll be very much mistaken concerning me, for I doubt whether my people could raise ten thousand, and even then I feel sure they wouldn't on principle."
"Same here," agreed the mid. "But the question is: Are we to stick here without making an effort to break ship?"
"What do you suggest?" asked Fielding, with a slight tinge of asperity. "Swim a few hundred miles to the nearest land?"
"No; but if we could manage to get out of this dog-hole we might seize a part of the ship and hold our own."
"Till starved out, eh? And for what purpose?"
"It seems to me that if we could reach the chart-room, or the conning-tower, we could properly play the dickens with the villains."
"H'm!" ejaculated Fielding, who was beginning to realise that action was preferable to a prolonged confinement in a wretchedly furnished cabin. "The conning-tower? But how? And if we did how could we hold it? We've no weapons."
"We might manage to squeeze through that scuttle," suggested Cardyke, warming up to his point.
Fielding gave a dubious glance at the Japanese. General Oki was getting on in years, Mukyima was a big fellow—one of the Samurai—and both might experience difficulty in effecting their escape.
"No fear; we can do," exclaimed Oki, "Hokosuka, he take pistols from men without knowing it." And turning to his companions the Japanese general explained that plans were being formed to make a stand against the piratical crew.
Fielding opened the scuttle. Although broad of shoulder he could, by holding one arm above his head, and the other against his side, pass the widest part of his massive form through the circular aperture. Mukyima then tried, and by a wonderful contraction of his muscular body, squeezed his shoulders through without any apparent difficulty.
"The scuttle is only four feet below the upper deck," said Fielding. "I'll go first; there's the boat-boom lashed just beneath us. We can stand on that, use the rise of the scupper as a foothold, and raise ourselves up over the side. If all is quiet we can creep cautiously for'ard. If not we must wait till we are all ready to make a rush, then run for the conning-tower as fast as we know how."
Oki expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements, and shortly after midnight Fielding was assisted through the narrow opening. Cardyke and Hokosuka gripped his ankles, and for a short space of time he hung head downwards till his hands came in contact with the boom.
"All right—let go," he whispered, as theIndependencialisted to port, and as agile as a cat he landed on the rounded spar. Ere the vessel heeled in the other direction the sub. had secured a firm hold upon the rim of the scuttle, his feet planted upon the boom. Then cautiously he climbed till his head was just above the level of the deck.
It was almost pitch dark. A screened light was burning in the chart-room, and the glow of a dozen cigarettes showed that some of the crew whose watch on deck it was, were taking things as agreeably as they possibly could, shielding from the keen wind behind the starboard 'midship barbette.
"All clear," he said, in a low voice. "You are the youngest and most active, Cardyke. Hang on till the last, and I will give you a leg-up."
With an agility that was remarkable for his years the veteran Oki made his way through the exaggerated needle's-eye, and was soon lying flat on the edge of the deck. Mukyima and Hokosuka followed, and were soon snugly ensconced by the side of their compatriots. Fielding then lowered himself to assist the midshipman, but Cardyke had forestalled him, and was crouching upon the boom.
His intimate knowledge of the ship gave Fielding the place of honour in making their way for'ard. In Indian file, and as silently as they possibly could, the four daring spirits followed the sub., crawling on their hands and knees, expecting every minute to be challenged by a more vigilant member of the pirate crew.
Unseen and unheard they passed the danger zone in the vicinity of the barbette, and from thence to the foot of the monkey ladder the deck was clear. Fielding was within twenty feet of the ladder when a French seaman came lurching aft.
Without a moment's hesitation the sub. lay down upon the deck, curling himself up in a natural attitude as if asleep, and his companions with promptitude followed his example.
As the seaman stumbled past, his right foot came in violent contact with Cardyke's forehead. The mid., although the blow well-nigh stunned him, did not utter a sound, and the seaman continued his erratic course.
Before the fellow had passed the barbette an officer appeared from behind the foremost funnel casing. Seeing the five men apparently deep in slumber on the deck he mildly remonstrated. Receiving no reply he stooped, and touched Cardyke on the shoulder. As he did so he caught sight of the distinctive "piping" on the mid.'s sleeve, and as if he had picked up a live coal he jumped backwards, shouting for assistance.
"Bowl him over," shouted the mid., all necessity for silence being now out of the question. His strong hands grasped the Spaniard's ankles, Fielding's heavy fist caught the pirate on the point of his jaw, and with a gurgled exclamation the astonished man measured his length on the deck.
In a trice the sub. was running up the ladder to the spar deck, Oki and Mukyima at his heels, and Cardyke following in the rear. Two signalmen attempted to bar their path, but went down like ninepins, and, breathless but unharmed, the adventurers gained the conning-tower to find that Hokosuka was not with them.
"No fear; him come all right," said Oki, reassuringly.
The words were hardly out of his mouth ere Hokosuka rejoined them, and silently handed Fielding and the general a revolver apiece. A third he retained himself. How he gained possession of the weapons none of his companions knew, nor did the Japanese think fit to enlighten them on the matter. The main thing was that three of them were armed with loaded revolvers, each holding six cartridges. There was no spare ammunition, but Fielding remarked that they ought to be thankful for small mercies, and trust that there would be no need to have to expend all the cartridges.
Meanwhile a regular pandemonium had broken out on the pirate cruiser. Alarmed by the uproar, men poured from below, not knowing whether they were attacked by a retributive cruiser. In the darkness the confusion was increased tenfold, and Fielding profited by the chaotic state of things to put the steering hard to port, steadying the helm while theIndependenciapointed in exactly the opposite direction to her previous course. The quartermasters at the steering-gear on the bridge had abandoned their posts at the first alarm, and consequently the sudden alteration of her course was not corrected As the cruiser was travelling at a high speed the change of helm gave an alarming list away from the centre of rotation, and, unaware of what had caused the "heel," the crew began to shout that the vessel was capsizing.
"If we had a boat's crew at our backs we could sweep the rascals down below in a brace of shakes," exclaimed the sub., as he proceeded to close the slits in the armoured walls. "As we haven't we must make the best of things. When they've calmed down a bit they'll try and rout us out. In the interval we must take steps to prepare our defences."
Hitherto theIndependenciahad been steaming without navigation lights, and all lamps 'tween decks were screened, but in order to reassure his cowardly crew, Cervillo, who had hastily left his cabin, ordered the lights to be switched on.
Standing on the bridge the pirate captain swore, implored, and threatened as fast as he could shout. The conviction that the cruiser was in danger was too firmly rooted in the minds of the seamen to be removed by a torrent of almost incomprehensible words. Men began to make a rush for the boats that had been transferred from the pseudoSteephill Castle, two of which hung in the davits on either quarter. The first boat was stove in against the ship's side, the second, crowded with men, was so heavy that directly the falls were manned the laden craft took charge. The ropes slipped from the grasp of the men who held them, and the boat with its living freight fell into the sea.
This disaster quieted the panic-stricken crew to a certain extent, and the officers, with the assistance of a few pistol-shots, succeeded in driving the mob for'ard. Then it was that the discovery was made that theIndependenciawas as far out of her course as she could possibly be.
By dint of threats and a few lusty strokes with the flat of his sword Cervillo compelled the quartermasters to return to their posts, only to discover that as fast as they put the helm up some mysterious agency promptly put it hard down.
Presently the excited officer who had been capsized by Fielding in the rush for the conning-tower was able to make a coherent explanation of what had occurred. Cervillo, fuming with rage, sent a couple of men down to the cabins where the prisoners had been confined. The Dutchmen were safely under lock and key, but the British officers and the three Japanese had escaped.
While the search was in progress a Greek sailor took it into his head to have a look in the conning-tower. The result was somewhat surprising as far as he was concerned; for directly his features appeared in the narrow entrance Hokosuka's lithe fingers clutched him by the throat. Unable to utter a sound the Greek was choked into insensibility, relieved of his knife and pistol, and gently dropped between an empty signal-locker and the stanchion rails. The respite thus gained was small, but the five occupants of the armoured box made good use of it. The electric circuits communicating with the different parts of the ship—most of which had been restored to a fairly efficient state—were ruthlessly crippled, only the engine-room telegraph and the steam steering-gear left intact. These Fielding resolved to destroy at the last moment.
The daring five were not left long undisturbed. Two petty officers, one of whom carried a hand-lantern, discovered the insensible Greek seaman.
Uttering a shout that brought others running to the spot, the two men advanced cautiously towards the conning-tower. The one with the lantern found himself flying backwards from the effect of a well-delivered blow from Cardyke's fist. The second, whipping out a revolver, fired twice in quick succession, the bullets flattening themselves against the massive steel plates just above the mid.'s head.
"That's done it," muttered Fielding. Then aloud he exclaimed, "Don't fire a shot till I give the word. Keep close."
A hail of bullets rattled against the outside of the conning-tower, followed by an intermittent patter as the leaden hail beat against the formidable walls.
Receiving no reply, and not knowing that the defenders possessed firearms, three or four men made a deliberate rush towards the gap that gave access to the "brain of the ship." The foremost man Fielding brought down with a bullet through his thigh. The others fell in a heap over their comrade's prostrate body, lying still in deadly fear till they mustered sufficient courage to crawl back to their friends. Again the firing broke out, but without effect.
After a while one of the attackers placed his cap on the end of the capstan bar, and, bearing it well in front of him, crept softly up to the entrance, another man, armed with a keen knife lashed, to the end of a pole, standing ready with his crude yet formidable weapon to slash at any of the occupants who might be enticed to make a cut at the decoy.
In the semi-gloom, for outside a few lanterns had been brought up and placed in position where they might be of service to the attackers, the defenders caught sight of a white object carefully advancing inside the entrance of the conning-tower. It was the seaman's cap.
Unguardedly Cardyke was on the point of dealing the intruder a heavy blow with a brass bar, which he had detached from some mechanism, when Oki, with characteristic shrewdness, noticed that the forward motion of the object was jerky and undecided. The Japanese general's hand clutched the midshipman's wrist, warning him to be on his guard. Closer and closer came the decoy, till almost the whole of the cap was in view.
Suddenly falling flat upon the floor Oki extended his right arm and fired. The shot, aimed slightly upwards, caught the decoy-bearer just below the knee, and brought him to the deck, while his companion, letting his weapon clatter from his nerveless grasp, ran shrieking from the spot.
Realising that they had a hard nut to crack the pirates hesitated to close, but an intermittent fire was kept up, with the idea of preventing any of the defenders from leaving their well-nigh impregnable fortress.
This state of affairs continued till dawn. Then there was a lull in the firing, and Juan Cervillo's voice was heard demanding instant surrender, otherwise a dynamite fuse would be thrown into the conning-tower and blow its defenders to atoms.