CHAPTER V
A RESCUE
H.M.S. Brigadier was steaming steadily along at a speed of twenty knots.Jack himself held the bridge. Frank and Lieutenant Hetherton, who stoodnearby, were discussing the sinking several days before of a large alliedtransport by a German submarine in the Irish sea.
"She was sunk without warning, the same as usual," said Hetherton.
"The Germans never give warning any more," replied Frank, "Of course, thereason is obvious enough. To give warning it would be necessary for thesubmarine to come to the surface, in which case the merchant ship might beable to place a shell aboard the U-Boat before she could submerge again.So to take time to give warning would be a disadvantage to the submarine."
"At the same time," said Hetherton, "it's an act of barbarism to sink abig ship without giving passengers and crew a word of warning."
"Oh, I'm not defending the German system," declared Frank. "I am justgiving you what I believe is the German viewpoint."
"Nevertheless," said Hetherton, "it's about time such activities werestopped."
"It certainly is. But it seems that the U-Boats are growing bolder eachday."
"It wouldn't surprise me," declared Lieutenant Hetherton, "to hear almostany day that U-Boats had crossed the Atlantic to prey on shipping inAmerican waters."
Frank looked at the second officer sharply. He was sure that Jack had notdivulged the real reason for their present voyage, and he had said nothingabout the matter himself.
"Just a chance remark, I guess," Frank told himself. Aloud he said: "Ihardly think it will come to that."
"I hope not," replied Hetherton, "but you never can tell, you know."
"That's true enough, too," Frank agreed, "but at the same--"
He broke off suddenly as he caught the sharp hail of the forward lookout.
"Ship in distress off the port bow, sir," came the cry.
Jack was at once called to the deck.
Instantly Frank and Lieutenant Hetherton sprang to Jack's side. At almostthe same moment the radio operator emerged from below on the run.
"Message, sir," he exclaimed, and thrust a piece of paper in Jack's hand.Jack read it quickly. It ran like this:
"Merchant steamer Hazelton, eight thousand tons, New York to Liverpoolwith munitions and supplies, torpedoed by submarine. Sinking. Help."
"Did you get her position?" demanded Jack of the wireless operator.
"No, sir. The wireless failed before he could give it."
"Don't you think it may be the vessel ahead, sir?" asked LieutenantHetherton.
"Can't tell," was Jack's reply. "It may be, in which case there areprobably more submarines about. Clear ship for action, Mr. Chadwick."
No sooner said than done.
Frank and others of the ship's officers darted hither and yon, making surethat everything was in readiness. At the guns, the gunners grinnedcheerfully. Frank approached the battery in the forward turret.
"All right?" he asked.
"O.K., sir," replied the officer in command of the gun crew. "Show us asubmarine, that's all we ask."
"There are probably a dozen or so about here some place," returned Frank."Keep your eyes peeled and don't wait an order to fire if you see anythingthat looks like one."
"Right, sir."
The officer turned to his men with a sharp command.
Frank continued his inspection of the ship as the Brigadier dashed towardthe vessel in distress, probably ten miles ahead.
Every man aboard the Brigadier was on the alert as the destroyer plowedswiftly through the water. It was possible, of course, that the submarineshad made off after attacking the vessel, but there was always thepossibility that some were still lurking in the neighborhood.
"Can't be too careful," Jack told himself.
Fifteen minutes later, the lookout was able to make out more clearly theship ahead of them.
"Steamer Hazelton," he called to the quartermaster, who reported to Jack.
"Same vessel that sent the wireless, Frank," was Jack's comment. "We willhave to look sharp. It's more than an even bet that some of those underseasharks are watching for a ship to come to the rescue so they can have ashot at her also."
"We're ready for 'em," said Frank significantly.
"All right," said Jack. "In the meantime we'll stand by the Hazelton andsee if we can lend a hand."
As the Brigadier drew closer those on deck could see signs of confusionaboard the Hazelton. Then there arose a large cloud of smoke that for amoment hid the Hazelton from view. This was followed by a loud explosion.
When the smoke cleared away, the water nearby was filled with strugglingfigures.
"Lower the boats," shouted Jack.
Instantly men sprang to obey the command, while others of the British tarsstill stood quietly behind their guns, their eyes scanning the sea.
Aboard the Hazelton, the crew, or what remained of the crew, wereattempting to lower lifeboats. Directly one was lowered safely, and loadedto the guards with human freight. A second and a third were loweredsafely, and put off toward the Brigadier.
In the meantime, lifeboats from the destroyer had darted in among thestruggling figures and willing hands were lifting the victims to safety.Then these, in turn, started back to the destroyer.
"I guess they're all off," said Frank to Jack.
"I hope so," was Jack's reply. "If I am not mistaken, there are womenamong the survivors."
"By George! I thought I saw some myself," was Frank's answer.
Suddenly there was a crash as the forward turret guns aboard the Brigadierburst into action. Looking ahead, Jack gave a startled cry, and no wonder.
For, from beneath the water, appeared a periscope and then the long lowoutline of a German submarine came into view.
Again the Brigadier's guns crashed, but the shells did not strike home.
Before the destroyer could fire again, a gun appeared as if by magic onthe submarine's deck, and a hail of bullets was poured into the first ofthe nearby lifeboats. At the same time the U-Boat launched a torpedo atthe Brigadier.
Jack gave a cry of horror at the predicament of those in the small boats.But he did not lose his head, and at the same time maneuvered his ship outof the path of the torpedo.
Came a hail from the lookout aft.
"Submarine off the stern, sir!"
At the same moment the battery in the Brigadier's turret aft burst intoaction.
"Forward with you, Mr. Chadwick," cried Jack, "and see if you can't getbetter results there. The men seem to have lost their nerve."
Frank sprang forward. Jack's words were true. It appeared that the crew inthe forward turret were so anxious to sink the first submarine that theyhad not taken time to find the range.
"Cease firing!" shouted Frank as he sprang into the turret.
The order was obeyed, but there came a grumble from the men at what theydeemed such a strange command under the circumstances.
"I thought you fellows were gunners," said Frank angrily. "Smith, get therange."
Smith did so, and announced it a moment later.
"Now," said Frank, "get your aim, men."
No longer was there confusion in the forward turret. The guns were trainedcarefully.
"Ready," cried Frank. "Fire!"
"Crash!"
A moment and there was a loud cheer from the crew. The German submarineseemed to leap high from the water, and then fell back in a dozen pieces.
Frank wasted no further time on the first submarine. Leaving the forwardturret, he dashed aft to where other guns were firing on the secondsubmarine. Meantime Jack, perfectly cool on the bridge, had maneuvered hisvessel out of the way of several torpedoes from the second U-Boat. But,as he very well knew, this combat must be brought to a quick end or oneof the torpedoes was likely to find its mark.
From the deck of the second submarine, a hail of fire from a machine gunwas still being poured into the helpless lifeboats. What execution hadbeen done Jack had no means of
telling at the moment, but he knew theremust have been some casualties.
"The brutes!" he muttered.
The duel between the submarine and the destroyer still raged. It appearedthat the commander of the submarine was a capable officer, for he hadsucceeded in keeping his vessel from being struck by a shell from theBrigadier.
In the aft turret of the Brigadier the British tars were sweating andmuttering imprecations at their inability to put a shell aboard the enemy.
"Here," said Frank, "let me get at that gun."
The crew stepped aside and the lad sighted the weapon himself. Then hefired.
Again a cheer arose aboard the Brigadier. Frank's shot had beensuccessful. The shell struck the submersible squarely amidships, andcarried away the periscope.
"Fire!" cried Frank, and the other guns broke into action.
Again there was a wild cheer.
The submarine began to settle a few moments later. Men emerged from belowand sprang into the sea.
"Lower a boat!" cried Jack. "I want a few of those fellows."
A boat was lowered instantly and strong hands pulled it toward the Germansfloundering in the water.
By this time the lifeboats that had escaped the German fire came alongsidethe Brigadier and the occupants climbed aboard the destroyer. These werequickly fitted out with dry clothing. It developed that there had beenthree women passengers aboard the Hazelton and all of these had beensaved. A dozen members of the crew, however, had been killed by the enemyin the lifeboats.
Jack assigned quarters to the victims as quickly as he was able, and thencalling his officers about him, awaited the return of the boat which hadgone after the Germans who had leaped into the sea.
"If the act I have just seen is a sample of the German heart," Jack said,"I never want another German within sight of me so long as I live."