CHAPTER XIII
ADRIFT
WITH the excitement of watching the ocean duel still fresh in theirminds, the cutter's crew did not readily realise their predicament.They had sublime faith in the ability of the "Heracles" to give theHuns "a proper hammering" and that in due course the British cruiserwould return and pick up her boat.
For some time the sounds of the violent cannonade were borne faintlyto their ears; then, save when a man's hearing played tricks uponhim, the noise of the firing died utterly away.
Hour after hour passed, but no sign of the returning cruiser. Thehorrible thought that perhaps the "Heracles" had been sent to thebottom took root and increased in Tressidar's mind. Yet no hint didhe give to his men. In order to occupy their minds and to keep theirblood circulating--for in the open boat the cold was intense--thesub. ordered them to row, the oarsmen relieving each other everyhalf-hour. Round and round in a vast circle the cutter went.Tressidar was too cautious to take the boat far from the spot whereshe had parted company with her parent ship, otherwise, should the"Heracles" return and find no sign of the cutter, she would mostlikely conclude that the boat had either been swamped or blown toatoms by a stray shell.
To add to the discomfort of the cutter's crew, it was now raining thesteady downpour accompanied by occasional sleet and drifts of fog.Frequently the extent of vision was limited to less than half a mile.In these circumstances the chances of being picked up by the"Heracles" were greatly diminished.
Presently one of the men caught sight of a grey pointed objectforging through the detached pieces of drift ice. At first glance itresembled a destroyer, save for the difference in colour. It was avessel of some sort, but different from any that the cutter's crewhad yet seen. It had a slightly raised fo'c'sle, largesuperstructure, and two slender masts fitted with wireless gear.
"A German submarine!" exclaimed a seaman hoarsely. "My word, ain'tshe a whopper!"
It was an unterseeboot of the newest type--resembling a small cruiserrather than the accepted idea of a submarine. Trimmed for surfacerunning, she exposed a freeboard of nearly ten feet. For'ard were twotwelve-pounder guns in circular turrets, so arranged that they couldbe lowered below the deck in a few seconds whenever it becamenecessary to dive. In the elongated superstructure, which comprisednot only the conning-tower but several spacious compartments, weregun-ports fitted with watertight lids. These were now triced up,revealing the muzzles of four seven-pounder quick-firers. From theafter end of the superstructure floated the Black Cross of Germany,while abaft were two more "disappearing" guns and the above-watermine-dropping gear.
Already the two for'ard guns were trained upon the luckless cutter.At any moment shells might be dealing death and destruction amongsther crew.
"Stand by with your rifles, lads!" ordered Tressidar. "Keep them outof sight until I give the word."
In silence the men awaited the submarine's approach, ignorant of whatwas about to take place. The sub. had wisely refrained from makingany sign of resistance. He had decided not to give the Germans achance to justify their opening fire; but should they do so, thecutter's crew would fight to the last.
After a while the submarine slowed down and stopped at a little lessthan a cable's length to windward of the boat. A couple of heavilyclad officers standing on the platform formed by the roof of thesuperstructure examined the cutter through their binoculars. Then onemade a remark to the other and both laughed uproariously.
Meanwhile the bow guns were still trained upon the cutter. Abreast ofthe superstructure a seaman, acting upon orders from his officers,held up a coil of rope to signify the willingness of the submarine'screw to take the boat in tow.
Tressidar shook his head emphatically. It would be far preferable toremain adrift in the open boat than to trust to the tender mercies ofthe kultured Hun.
Slowly the submarine forged ahead and circling passed within twentyyards of the cutter. For a few moments Tressidar was under theimpression that the U-boat was about to ram the little craft, but hewas mistaken.
"No take help from Zhermans?" shouted one of the German officers."Sorry we have no room for you on board, or we vos take yourprisoners to Zhermany."
Twenty or thirty men who formed the submarine's crew laughedboisterously at the plight of the British seamen; but, somewhat toTressidar's surprise, no attempt was made to molest the cutter. Withher crew still jeering, the submarine increased her speed and wassoon out of sight.
The short day was drawing to a close. Benumbed by the cold, the menhuddled close together for mutual warmth. They were too exhausted toindulge in conversation. Their frozen hands could not retain theirgrasp upon the looms of the oars, yet uncomplainingly they sat withcompressed lips, looking in vain for the return of the "Heracles."
As night came on a lantern was lighted and exhibited from a boathookset upright through one of the thwarts. The rain had now ceased. Itwas snowing slightly, with the promise of a heavy blizzard beforemany hours had passed. All around the drift ice floated in compactmasses, until there was danger of the boat being nipped between theenormous floes as they ground in the long swell.
Just before midnight the thud of a ship's engines became audible.Gradually the sound drew nearer and nearer. A large vessel, showingno lights, was cautiously making her way through the drift ice.
The ship was not H.M.S. "Heracles." The cutter's crew knew that bythe noise of the engines, for it lacked the rhythm of the cruiser'ssmoothly running machinery.
She was certainly coming in the direction of the boat, but thequestion was, would she stop. Since she had gone a long way to thenorthward of the usual trade routes, it was evident that the vesselhad good reasons for wishing to avoid examination by the Britishpatrol craft, and would not be likely to stop at the signal ofdistress.
Accordingly the sub. determined to bluff her. By means of a Morseflashing-lamp, with which the cutter was equipped, a peremptory orderto heave-to was sent. For a few moments the men waited in acutesuspense. Upon the success of the demand depended their lives, sincethey had little chance of outliving the rigours of a long winter'snight in the ice-infested sea. A steady white light shone through thedarkness, followed by the signal "I am heaving-to."
"Give way, lads," exclaimed Tressidar encouragingly. "Another fiveminutes will do the trick."
Gathering their remaining energies, for the men were almost done up,the rowers urged the boat in the direction of the now motionlesssteamer, and ranged alongside her towering hull, the rail of whichseemed lost in the darkness overhead.
A coil of rope, hurtling from the deck, dropped into the cutter. Thebowman, his fingers numbed with the cold, fumbled as he took a turnround the for'ard thwart.
"Lower a ladder," shouted the sub.
"Aye, aye!" replied a voice with a pronounced foreign accent. Therewas neither cordiality nor resentment in the words; merely anacceptance with a good grace of a situation that could not beavoided.
The cutter was grinding alongside the rust-streaked wall-sides of thesteamer. Her exhausted crew had not the strength to fend her off. Itwas, indeed, doubtful whether some of the men would be able to gainthe vessel's deck without assistance.
A wire-rope ladder was lowered from the rail. Owing to the roll ofthe ship the lowermost rungs were at one moment three feet from theside. At another the ladder slapped vigorously against the ironplating in a manner that promised broken knuckles to the men as theyclimbed to safety.
Hardly able to move his limbs after his prolonged exposure in theboat, Tressidar gamely ascended. His nerveless fingers could hardlyretain a grip upon the wet and slippery rungs. His boots slippeddangerously from the smooth rounded surface of the swaying ladder.Oppressed by the weight of his saturated clothing, he had more thanonce on the hazardous ascent to pause and regain his breath before hecould summon his jaded energies to a renewed effort.
He fancied that the master of the vessel glanced curiously at him ashe almost staggered upon the deck. Then, without a word, he drewhimself up and waited until th
e last of his men had gained safety.Then, and only then, did he drop his plan of bluff.
"We were adrift in an open boat belonging to a British cruiser," heexplained. "We should be glad of your hospitality until we fall inwith another of our warships. Might I ask what ship this is?"
"The 'Freya' of Hammerfest, bound from New York to Gothenborg,"replied the master. "We are only too glad to give you assistance; fora few hours, perhaps, since your ships swarm like ants. If you willsend your men for'ard they will be attended to. Meanwhile, sir, willyou favour me with your company in my cabin?"
"How about our rifles, sir?" asked one of the cutter's crew.
Tressidar hesitated. The men, being armed when they left the ship,ought to be under arms until they returned; but, on the other hand,it was hardly good taste to send them to the "Freya's" fo'c'sle withrifles and ammunition as if they were a prize crew.
The Norwegian skipper noticed his dilemma.
"Perhaps you would like me to take charge of them," he remarked."Should we be stopped by a German submarine--one passed and was goingsouth-west less than five hours ago--it would go hard with us if theyfound armed Englishmen on board. I will be responsible that the armswill be returned to you intact when you are transferred to a Britishship."
The sub. saw no reason why he should not do as the master of the"Freya" suggested. The chances were that the ship would be examinedby a patrol vessel before many hours were passed. There was oneproblem, however, that he could not exactly solve, nor did he like toask his host any question on the matter. If the "Freya" were what shewas stated to be--a neutral trader from and for neutral ports--whydid she go so far out of her course?
The arms were given up and the jaded men sent forward, where theywere hospitably entertained by the Norwegian crew, who not only gavethem hot food and drink, but lent them clothing while their own wasbeing dried in front of the galley fire. Not until Tressidar wasassured that his men were made comfortable did he go aft to themaster's cabin.
"You are too tired to converse," remarked the skipper, as the sub.attacked a plain but appetising meal.
"Not at all," replied Tressidar, his anxiety to hear more of his hostand the vessel under his command being uppermost in his mind.
The master, after the manner of his race, began by plying the sub.with numerous questions concerning his adventures, to all of whichthe sub. replied without any attempt at reticence. He knew thatmistrust begets mistrust, and that if he "hedged" his own chances ofobtaining information would be thrown away.
"So your ship was engaged with a German ship disguised as one ofours," remarked the master of the "Freya." "I hope she sunk her.These arrogant Germans have already torpedoed nearly twenty of ourpeaceable merchantmen and our Government can but protest If only wewere a great nation how we would help to fight them! As it is, wecan only expostulate, knowing that expostulation is of no avail sofar as a German is concerned."
"Yet the submarine you fell in with this afternoon did not attempt totorpedo you?"
"No; but I think I can explain that," replied the Norwegian skipper."She passed close under our stern and read our name. These fellowsseem to have information of every vessel leaving American ports, andfor which port they are bound. Those making for Scandinavia aregenerally left alone; it is only neutral vessels bound for Britishports that are sunk."
"Perhaps that is why you took such a devious course," promptedTressidar.
"Yes," admitted his host frankly, "and also to lessen the risk ofhitting a German mine. Our troubles will commence when we enter theSkager Rack, for the Germans, in defiance of all international law,have mined that too. But before that, I trust, you will have nofurther need for my hospitality."
The skipper spoke with evident sincerity. His sympathies were whollypro-British. He quite recognised the necessity for a stringentblockade of Germany and for the restriction of imports into Norway,Sweden, Denmark, and Holland.
"Of course it is a great temptation for our people to enrichthemselves," he said, "only it is short-sighted policy. I feelconvinced that should Germany win this war--and my opinion is thatshe won't unless the Allies make a serious and irreparableblunder--the liberty of the smaller States of Europe, even thoughthey have preserved a strict and punctilious neutrality, will be gonefor ever. But you have finished your meal: you would like to sleep?There is a bunk at your disposal. Should the slightest occasionarise, I will have you awakened at once."
Thankfully Tressidar accepted the offer. Half asleep, he threw offhis clothes and turned in. A minute later he was in a deep slumber.