CHAPTER XII.
THE FIRST VICTIM.
As the steamship _Glasgow_ drew nearer, the signs of activity among thevarious units of the motorboat fleet became more acute. The little craftdarted hither and thither, finally dividing into two sections, onesection on each side of the channel through which the _Glasgow_ steamedtoward them. When the big steamship had steamed past, the ten littleboats fell into line behind her, moving swiftly forward, two abreast.
Apparently the commander of the _Glasgow_, Captain Sawyer, had beeninformed that he was to be provided with an escort, for only thefluttering of a few signal flags from the _Glasgow_ and from themotorboat _Lion_, which carried Lieutenant Commander Thompson, in chargeof the mosquito fleet, betokened a greeting.
The _Glasgow_ swept majestically past, not pausing in her stride. Fromthe decks hands were waved and handkerchiefs fluttered toward the littlevessels below, the passengers aboard leaning over the rails andspeculating idly upon their presence.
The two foremost motorboats were _The Hawk_ and the _Lion_, commanded byLieutenant Commander Thompson and Lord Hastings. The others followedclose behind.
Jack and Frank had watched all this maneuvering with great interest; andnow that the flotilla, in perfect formation, was proceeding straightahead, Frank turned to his commander with a question:
"And about where do you expect to pick up the enemy, sir?" he asked.
"Hardly more than twenty miles out--certainly not more than two hours,"was the reply.
The motorboats followed closely in the wake of the big steamship.Although they were, of course, plainly visible from the steamer, andcould possibly be seen from the sides, it was hoped that the enemies'submarine would take a position directly in front of the _Glasgow_ whenshe accosted her. This would shield the motorboats from sight.
The _Glasgow_ and its bodyguard were now out of sight of land. The sunshone brightly and the day was perfectly calm. There was scarcely aripple upon the smooth surface of the sea.
Below, aboard the _Glasgow_, the passengers were at dinner. They werelaughing and joking among themselves.
Aboard the motorboats all was peacefully quiet. The men not on duty wereidling about and talking.
Suddenly Edwards, who stood forward on _The Hawk_, caught the peculiarfluttering of the signal flags aboard the _Glasgow_.
"_Glasgow_ signalling, sir," he reported to Lord Hastings.
Lord Hastings quickly drew the attention of Commander Thompson to the_Glasgow's_ signals, at the same time deciphering them for Frank andJack.
The first signal read:
"Small vessel dead ahead."
Commander Thompson flashed back his response:
"Submarine?"
"Can't make out yet," was the answer.
There was some further wig-wagging; and then the need for this means ofcommunication suddenly ceased.
There came a sharp blast from the _Glasgow's_ horn and the big shipslowed down abruptly. Then came the sound of a shot from dead ahead andthere was a splash between the _Glasgow_ and _The Hawk_.
"The enemy!" exclaimed Lord Hastings.
Aboard each of the small motorboats every man sprang to his post. Softcommands carried back and forth across the water, while the signal flagsof the Glasgow continued to flutter.
Then, even as Lord Hastings received from the _Lion_ the command toadvance, he read the last signal of the _Glasgow_.
"Submarine has halted us," it read. "Dead ahead."
The motorboat fleet came to life upon the instant. Again it divided intotwo parts, one passing on each side of the _Glasgow_, and darted forwardtoward the enemy.
Aboard each the forward guns were manned, the gunners ready to fire atthe word.
On the _Glasgow_ all was confusion. Passengers, attracted by the soundof the shot from the submarine, sprang from their tables and dashed ondeck. There, as they made out the submarine, they turned pale. Only thereassuring voices of the officers averted a panic.
Then the passengers turned their attention to the fleet that was nowpassing around the big liner to the attack.
Rapidly the little craft sped forward and before the submarine commanderhad divined their presence, they were swooping down upon him, seeminglyfrom all directions. Stunned at this unexpected arrival and before hecould give a word of command, _The Hawk_ unloosened her forward gun.
The shell went wide, but it brought immediate action from the submarinecommander. Evidently he had no mind to try and torpedo the little craft,realizing, perhaps, that did he sink one the other would destroy him.
Motioning the other three men on deck before him, he sprang toward thelittle conning tower, bent on flight.
At this juncture the _Lion_ came within range and her forward gun spokeloudly. The shell kicked up the water a few yards from the submarine.
"Hoorah!" came the British cry.
"A little soon to cheer," muttered Frank to himself, as he steppedforward to take his second shot at the submarine.
"Boom!"
The gun spoke sharply.
Ahead there was a terrible crash. The German submarine seemed to soar inthe air like a skyrocket, and came down in a thousand pieces.
Frank's one well-directed shot had ended the battle.
Then a mighty cheer went up from the men of the mosquito fleet, in whichthe passengers aboard the _Glasgow_ joined with a will.
Jack sprang forward and gave his chum a resounding slap on the back.
"That's what I call shooting," he declared fervently.
"Good work, Frank," said Lord Hastings quietly, stepping forward. "Anexcellent shot."
Masses of wreckage floating upon the surface of the sea were all thatwas left of the German submarine, with here and there a few floatingbodies. Soon these disappeared and there was nothing to indicate that anunder-sea craft had so recently been near.
From aboard the _Lion_, Commander Thompson signalled his compliments toThe _Hawk_.
"And now I suppose we will go back again," said Frank to Lord Hastings.
"Well, no," was the reply. "The _Glasgow_ is not safe yet. There may beother submarines in these waters. I should say that we shall escort herall of a hundred miles."
"What I would like to know," said Frank, "is why her commander, insteadof trying to escape at once, didn't launch a torpedo or two. He mighthave disposed of one of us."
"But the others would have surely done for him," said Lord Hastings. "Heprobably figured he could submerge before we could hit him."
"He guessed wrong that time," declared Frank.
"Rather," agreed Jack with a smile. "There is no use talking, Frank, youare some boy when it comes to shooting."
All that afternoon the motorboat flotilla trailed the _Glasgow_; butuntil nightfall no other German submarine had appeared. An hour afternightfall, Commander Thompson gave the command to put about and return.
Slowly the little craft came about and started back toward Bantry Bay.Behind them now, the _Glasgow_, safe at last, steamed rapidly away,bound for the distant port of New York, and "home," said Frank to Jack.
"Do you wish you were on her," asked his chum curiously.
"No," replied Frank, slowly, "unless I was sure I would find my fatherwaiting for me when I reached there. However, I am having a pretty goodtime on this side and I know that I shall return safely some day."
_The Hawk_, last in line, made her way back slowly.
An hour after the lights of the _Glasgow_ had faded from view, Frank,glancing forward, was unable to make out the distant light of a singleof the other motorboats. He called Lord Hastings' attention to thisfact.
"Is that so?" exclaimed his commander in some surprise. "I had no ideawe had been going so slowly. We'll step out a bit."
He issued a command, and the speed of _The Hawk_ increased. But still,after an hour, they had failed to come up with the others.
"Well, it's nothing to worry about I guess. We know the way back as wellas the others; besides, there is no particular hurry."
; Accordingly _The Hawk_ continued at rather slow speed.
Half an hour later, Frank, forward, made out a dark hulk lying low inthe water a short distance ahead. He immediately called Lord Hastings'attention to the object.
The latter acted quickly.
"Extinguish all lights quickly," he called sharply.
The order was obeyed, and at a second command, _The Hawk_ was sloweddown so that she was barely moving.
"What's the matter, sir?" exclaimed Jack, in great surprise.
"Matter is that there is a submarine dead ahead of us," was hiscommander's reply.
"You mean that dark object there?"
"Yes."
"And are we going to sink her, sir?" asked Jack.
"We'll have a try at it," was the reply. "In this darkness we can govery close without fear of being seen, _The Hawk_ is so small."
Fifty yards from the submarine, which lay quietly in the water, _TheHawk_ came to a stop and the forward gun was made ready for action.
"Funny there isn't some one on deck," muttered Frank.
"By Jove! So it is," declared Lord Hastings. "Must be something wrong. Iwonder what?"
"I have it, sir," declared Frank. "It's one of the vessels that thoseother motorboats--the ones we sunk--were to have reported to."
"I believe Frank is right," agreed Jack. "It probably comes to thesurface here every night, awaiting their return."
"In that event the chances are that most every one aboard is asleep,"remarked Lord Hastings.
He gave the command for _The Hawk_ to proceed.
"What are you going to do, sir?" asked Frank.
"See if we can't capture her," replied Lord Hastings quietly.
Frank gave a low whistle. It was a plan after his own heart, but he waskeenly sensitive to the danger that it involved.
"Very well, sir," he said quietly.
"This," declared Jack, manifesting a show of enthusiasm, "is where wehave a little fun."