Part 21 (2/2)

Everyone aboard felt the shock. The side of the s.h.i.+p seemed to be stove in, and the captain commanded a member of his crew to see what water the vessel was making.

”You d.a.m.n well go yourself, mister,” was the reply he got; which showed the state of nerves aboard. Being almost next to the man in question I volunteered to go, which seemed to somewhat shame the mutinous seaman, as he went below at once. Then the captain did an extraordinary thing.

He stopped his s.h.i.+p, hoisted a flag (the W) half-mast high, blew three long blasts on the siren, and came down from the bridge on deck.

I met him as he descended the companion and asked him what he was playing at?

”I mean to save what lives I can,” he said. ”The s.h.i.+p is holed and it is useless to carry on.”

”That's the way to sacrifice the lot,” I told him. ”You don't suppose those pirates will spare either s.h.i.+p or us.”

Whilst we were slanging each other, a wild-eyed woman whose hair was all down her back clutched the captain and demanded him to surrender at once. ”Save us, save us!” she wailed. Her embrace had to be forcibly removed.

None of us aboard who took interest in life were agreeable to a stoppage of the s.h.i.+p or to a surrender in any form. We bluntly said so. But the captain claimed he was master aboard his own s.h.i.+p and should do as he thought fit. Having thus delivered himself he proceeded aft and cut away the las.h.i.+ng of three small rafts, each about ten feet by four, which appeared to be the only hope of safety left for the forty or more people aboard.

The engineers had stuck to their posts--all credit to their bravery!--but the s.h.i.+p, having lost way, was drifting broadside on to the submarine, which would soon have made her an easier mark to hit.

Whereupon one of the three military officers, a second lieutenant of infantry, as arranged quickly between ourselves, mounted the bridge and rang up the engine-room for full speed ahead.

He managed to heave her round and got her going again; and very, very slowly she was made to steal further and further away. As soon as the captain realised his vessel was moving he went back to the bridge, rea.s.sumed command, and remained there.

For emergencies there is no school of learning to equal that of wide-world travel. In a search for more floating accommodation my friend and myself went forward and released the heavy coverings of the fore-hold, which provided ten or a dozen good planks quite equal to surf boards, such as we had seen used by Kanakas of the Sandwich Islands, and where we had partic.i.p.ated with them in the joys of surf-riding on the Pacific breakers rolling in over the coral reefs. It was undoubtedly a wise forethought.

Although the fighting lasted, from first shot to last, forty-two minutes, it but seemed a few seconds to those whose minds were occupied with the safety of the s.h.i.+p and the lives of all aboard her. We had quite a lot to do and we were kept busy. Lifebelts had to be handed out and correctly put on, cigarettes obtained from below and supplied to all who cared for that form of nerve tonic, a great proportion of the terrified women pacified, and the rafts arranged on deck with a captain to each and fresh-water supplies provided.

As soon as necessary matters had been completed I got hold of my friend, who was taking matters quite philosophically, and we ascended the p.o.o.p together to help take observation of our sh.e.l.l fire. Then we noticed that our gun-layer was serving the gun alone, so I slipped down to him to help get out more sh.e.l.ls and to hand them up to his platform.

After a few rounds someone shouted, ”Smoke boxes.” At the moment I was struggling to the gun with a live sh.e.l.l, but I received a push from the all-too-energetic originator of the idea which sent me sprawling over a coil of rope and a pile of empty sh.e.l.l-cases.

Picking myself up as quickly as I could, I returned to the main deck in time to see the first of these useful and ingenious devices brought into practical utility. It was an oblong box, about three feet long and one foot deep, which was lighted at the end by a fuse, then thrown overboard to windward. Others followed in quick succession.

The smoke formed a light brown haze which with the help of a broadside-on breeze drifted across our wake and in a very short time obliterated our hull from the view of the deserting boats as well as those on board the submarine; which latter did not seem too desirous of following on, nor of decreasing the distance separating us.

From statements made by those in the boats (one of which was not recovered until some five days afterwards), the flag hoisted to half-mast, the three blasts on the whistle, and the obliterated hull gave every appearance of the foundering of the s.h.i.+p. If they formed this impression, _a fortiori_, the Germans, who were more than a mile behind them, must have been still more convinced that their sh.e.l.l-fire had done its dastardly work. This would also be strengthened by the sight of the three boats crowded with refugees rowing frantically away in the foreground; they must have appeared like rats (as they indeed were), deserting what they believed to be a doomed vessel.

Be it as it may be, after this the submarine ceased fire and submerged.

Our gun-layer also ceased fire because he could see nothing further to shoot at.

Those on board, although relieved of the horrible din of bursting sh.e.l.ls and continuous gun-fire, were not happy. They were haunted by a deeply-rooted idea that the submarine had only submerged with the intention of concealing her course so that she could head off the s.h.i.+p and attack her again from another quarter. Some were quite unable to conceal their anxieties. However, after the cessation of active hostilities a more hopeful and cheerful tone prevailed throughout. Some of the engineers came on deck for a breath of fresh air, whilst those below redoubled their efforts to pack on every ounce of steam the overstrained boilers would stand. With much wheezing and groaning, jerks and spasms, the machinery ground away and the battered old tub really did appear to make an effort to get along. What her speed actually was is not likely to be known, but if the log had been used and had recorded anything over eight knots an hour her pa.s.sengers would have doubted its accuracy.

After sunset the elements favoured those of us on board who had certainly endeavoured to help ourselves. A rain-squall dropped from above, mists rolled up from the surface of the ocean which had hitherto been so calm and tranquil, and soon it became rough and unpleasant.

Womenfolk who had been sick beyond belief through fear and sh.e.l.l-shock now became genuinely sea-sick. Perhaps it was a counter-irritant ordained for the best.

As soon as firing ceased and the enemy had disappeared from view, I sneaked away alone to a coal-bunker, where I carefully buried deep under the black nuggets a small packet of precious doc.u.ments which would undoubtedly have proved of absorbing interest to the Hun. I thought this would probably be the last place anyone would be likely to look for anything of the kind, even if a boarding had become actual.

On returning to my friend, I much amused that gentleman by reason of a rather argumentative dispute I was drawn into with a Reverend raft captain regarding the salvage of certain fis.h.i.+ng gear which I suggested would be the best help to kill the monotony whilst drifting and waiting to be picked up; a.s.suming naturally that we were shortly to be sunk by the submarine.

But by degrees twilight gave place to gloaming. St.u.r.dily the engines throbbed and the vessel pushed steadily ahead; whilst every eye that could, searched the sea around for any sign of periscopes.

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