CHAPTER XV
UNDER THE TRICOLOR
It was to be many a long day before Frank and Jack were destinedto see London again.
All day, following the loss of the Lena, the little boats bobbedup and down on the smooth sea, as they headed eastward as fast asstrong British arms could drive them. All day the sun shonebrightly, but as night drew on the air became cold and penetrating.The men wrapped themselves up as tightly as they could but eventhis did not keep out the chill.
Frank and Jack took turns sleeping and in keeping watch. Atlength the darkness began to give way to light; and, in the coldgray dawn of another day Jack, standing watch in the first boat,made out something in the distance that caused him to utter aloud cry.
Because of the intense darkness they had approached thus closewithout having gained a glimpse of what Jack now saw.
It was land.
Frank, aroused by Jack's cry, was on his feet in an instant andechoed his friend's cry of joy.
"Where do you suppose we are?" he asked.
"At a rough guess, I should say off the coast of France," wasJack's reply.
"Good! Then we should be perfectly safe."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," said Jack. "You never can tellwhat is going to happen in times like these. However, we willland as soon as possible."
The sun was high in the sky when the first of the little boats,rounding a sharp promontory, came in sight of a large vessel.She was plainly a ship of war, anchored a mile off the coast in alittle bay. Beyond the lads could make out the houses of whatappeared to be a small town.
"Wonder what place that is?" said Frank.
"I don't know," replied Jack, "but we'll soon find out. See!Our presence has been discovered."
Frank looked in the direction Jack pointed. It was true. Theywere close enough to the vessel now for the lads to make outseveral figures standing upon the deck, pointing toward them andgesticulating.
A moment later and the guns on the vessel shone in the sunlight,as the ship came about. They were pointed squarely at the littleBritish flotilla.
A flag was quickly, run up to the masthead. The boys made it outin an instant--the tricolor of France. A cheer went up fromthe British sailors, and in one of the boats a sailor sprang tohis feet and waved a British ensign above his head.
This was seen from the deck of the French vessel, and severalsmall boats were hurriedly manned and came toward the British.Within hailing distance a voice cried out in French:
"Who are you and where from?"
"British prize crew aboard German merchantman, which was sunk bya German cruiser yesterday," Jack shouted back.
The French boats approached closer. The men in them were allarmed, and it was plainly apparent they were not too confident ofthe identity of the British. They held their rifles ready forinstant use, and small rapid-firers in the prow of each craftwere ready for business.
But now that the French had approached close enough for theircommander to distinguish the faces of the English sailors thetenseness of the French sailors relaxed, and they came on moreconfidently. The French officer ran his boat close to the oneoccupied by Frank and Jack and leaped lightly aboard it. Thelads rose to greet him.
All three saluted, and the French officer said:
"I'm glad to see you."
"Not half as glad as we are to see you," replied Jack withenthusiasm. "This time yesterday we didn't know whether we wouldever see land again or not."
"You have been adrift all that time?" questioned the officer.
"Yes, sir."
"You said something about having been sunk by a German cruiser.Why didn't they pick you up?"
"Because they were already at the bottom of the sea," repliedJack calmly.
"You mean that you sunk them with the small guns of your ship?"asked the officer in great wonderment.
"Yes," replied Jack briefly. "We were fortunate enough to dothat with our last shot."
"Good for you!" ejaculated the officer. "But come! You must goaboard the Marie Theresa. Captain Dreyfuss will indeed be gladto greet two such gallant Englishmen."
It was fully half an hour later, the lads in the meantime havingseen to the disposition of the British sailors aboard the Frenchcruiser, before Jack and Frank were seated in the commander'scabin, relating their experiences to him.
"And what do you plan to do now?" asked the commander, after hehad complimented the boys upon their gallant conduct.
"Well," replied Frank, "we had thought of returning to London.By the way, just whereabouts are we?"
The commander swept an arm in the direction of the little town.
"That," he said, "is St. Julien, on the southern coast of France.Bordeaux is to the north, and, in the event that you are planningto return to London, it will be necessary to go that way. If Iwere bound that way, I would gladly land you there, but I amnot."
"May I ask which way you are going?" asked Frank.
"I am bound for the Adriatic," replied the commander, "to jointhe rest of the French fleet blockading the Austrians there."
"By Jove!" ejaculated Jack suddenly, struck with a sudden idea."Why cannot we go with you, Captain Dreyfuss."
"Go with me?" echoed the commander of the Marie Theresa.
"Yes," cried Frank, falling in with the idea at once. "May we,captain?"
The captain mused silently for some time.
"It would be very irregular," he said at length.
"We would certainly be pleased to see service under anotherflag," persisted Jack.
"Indeed we would," agreed Frank; "and we would be willing to go inany capacity. If we go to London we may have a long wait beforebeing assigned to another ship."
Suddenly Captain Dreyfuss slapped his leg with his hand and gotto his feet.
"It shall be done," he said; "and, I may say that I shall be gladof your company. I will have you shown your quarters. As ithappens, I am short handed. I shall see that your crew is setashore and given passage for London."
At his signal a young midshipman entered the cabin and came toattention.
"I place these young men in your charge," Captain Dreyfuss saidto him. "You will show them quarters. From this time on theywill be your shipmates."
The young Frenchman saluted, and the lads followed him from thecommander's cabin.
He showed them to very neat quarters and said abruptly:
"You will bunk here."
He departed without another word. Frank and Jack stared afterhim in some surprise.
"Nice, pleasant companion he'll make," said Frank with finesarcasm.
"I should say so," answered Jack. "From his actions you'd thinkwe had done something to offend him."
"Oh, well," said Frank, "I guess we don't need to worry a wholelot about him."
"No," said Jack, "but just the same I would rather be on goodterms with all on board."
The British sailors had now been gathered on deck and Frank andJack went up to bid them goodbye. As they were rowed away in thedirection of the little town the sailors stood up in the boatsand gave three lusty cheers for both lads. The lads waved theirhats at them.
"You'd think these English were somebody," came a voice fromFrank's elbow, and turning the lad saw several French midshipmenstanding nearby. "They leave us to do all the fighting,"continued one, whom Frank now recognized as the one who hadescorted them to their quarters. "If they fought as well as theytalk, this war wouldn't last long."
Frank took a quick step toward the speaker, but Jack's hand fellon his arm and stayed him.
"Quiet," said Jack. "We don't want to have any trouble withthem. Besides their words do not apply to you. You areAmerican."
"You are right," said Frank, and turned away.
Suddenly Captain Dreyfuss' voice rang out on the bridge.Instantly all became bustle and confusion. The Marie Theresa wasabout to get under way. Not yet having been assigned to theirduties, Jack and Frank stood a little to one side.
S
lowly the big battle cruiser got under way. With her flagflying proudly, she turned her stern toward the shore and madefor the open sea. Soon she was heading southward at full speed.
Now a second midshipman approached the lads.
"I am instructed to show you your duties," he said, withoutenthusiasm, and the boys could see that he was not well pleasedwith his task.
Frank stepped up to him and held out his hand. "See here," hesaid, "why can't we be friends?"
The Frenchman took the proffered hand and shook ithalf-heartedly. He glanced furtively about, evidently in fearthat some of his comrades might see him in this compromisingsituation. Then, as rapidly as possible, he instructed the ladsin their tasks.
"And now," he concluded, "dinner is ready. You will mess withthe other midshipmen. Come, will show you the way."
Without a word the lads followed him. The long table was alreadyfilled. + But there were still some vacant seats. Frank and Jackdropped into these.
"Midshipman Templeton and Midshipman Chadwick," said theirescort, introducing them to the rest, with a sweep of his arm.
Frank and Jack rose from their seats and bowed. The youngFrenchmen barely acknowledged the introduction with nods of theirheads.
Frank's face flushed, and he made as if to rise, but, again Jackstayed him, and they fell to eating in silence. Several timesduring the meal some Frenchman inadvertently made a remarkderogatory to the fighting ability of the English.
Frank held his temper, though his face burned,'' and Jack wasfearful that his friend would soon be mixed up in trouble again.However, the meal finally came to an end, and Jack and Frankarose with the others to leave the room.
To the deck below, where the midshipmen were wont to spend mostof their leisure hours, the lads followed the Frenchmen. Heresome drew cigarettes from their pockets, and, in spite of theregulations against this practice, proceeded to light up in mostapproved style.
Then they broke up into little knots, and Jack and Frank foundthemselves left to themselves.
"Come," said Jack at length, "we might as well go on deck."
He took Frank by the arm and started away. As they neared thedoor, a big, hulking Frenchman suddenly stretched forth a foot,and Frank, who had not noticed this obstruction, tripped and fellheavily to the deck.
He was up in a moment, his face a dull red. He turned on the nowgiggling midshipmen, angrily.
"Who did that?" he demanded, taking a step forward and doublingup his fists.
A laugh went round the room, but there was, no reply.
"Who did that?" demanded Frank again.
The big French middie who had tripped the lad stepped forward.
"I did it," he replied, thrusting out his face. "What of it?"
"Just this," replied Frank, and started forward. Jack stoppedhim.
"Here's where I get into this," he said quietly. "I tried tokeep out, but it's no use. Stand aside, Frank, can't you see youare no match for him."
"Step aside nothing," said Frank, struggling, in Jack's grasp."I never saw a Frenchman yet I couldn't lick."
"Well," said Jack calmly, "this is one you won't lick. I'm goingto do it myself. It's my fight, anyway in vain did Frankstruggle. He was like a child in his friend's strong hands."
The big Frenchman thrust his face forward again.
"So you are going to interfere, are you?" he said.
"Yes," said Jack pleasantly, "and you'll wish I hadn't."
"Then take that," cried the Frenchman, and struck out suddenly.
Jack leaped back quickly, but he was not swift enough to entirelyavoid the blow. A tiny stream of blood trickled from his nose.Without a word he calmly drew a handkerchief from his pocket andwiped away the red drops. Then he stepped forward and spoke toall.
"Now," he said quietly, "this chap is going to pay for that. Areyou gentlemen here? Will you see that this is conducted in aproper manner, or is it to be a rough-and-tumble?"
One of the French middies stepped forward suddenly. He offeredJack his hand.
"I'll see that it is conducted ship-shape," he said. "Youimpress me as a brave man, and I'll see that you get fair play."
"Thanks," said Jack laconically, accepting his hand.
"I might as well tell you, however," continued the Frenchman,"that you are up against more than your match. This man is oneof the heavyweight aspirants for the championship of the Frenchnavy, and has several scalps to his credit."
"I guess he hasn't bumped up against an Englishman," was Jack'sreply.
"What's it to be?" asked the Frenchman.
"Anything suits me," said Jack.
"To a finish," grumbled Jack's antagonist.
Quickly a square was marked off, and, enjoining the spectators tosilence, the young Frenchman who appeared more friendly than therest as self-appointed referee called time.
Jack and his opponent squared off.