CHAPTER XI--"WITH INTENT"
"Where are we now?" enquired Kenyon on returning to the navigation-roomto relieve his chum as officer of the watch.
It was now twelve o'clock. Bramsdean had just "shot the sun" and wasreading off the degrees, minutes, and seconds from the arc of thesextant.
"Almost over Algiers, old thing," he replied, pointing to the glaring,sun-baked Algerian coast. "Hark!"
He held up his hand and inclined his head sideways. Above the bass humof the aerial propellers came the distant report of a gun.
"Reminds a fellow of old times when the Archies got busy," remarkedKenyon.
"Our friends the French are evidently treating us to a salute to help uson our weary way," rejoined Peter. "Goodness only knows how we are toreturn it. We can't give gun for gun."
He focussed his glasses on the white buildings three thousand feetbelow. The whole of the water-front of Algiers was packed with figureswith upturned faces--Frenchmen, Algerines, Arabs, and Nubians--allfrantically waving to the huge airship as she sped eastwards.
In ten minutes the "Golden Hind" had left the capital of France'sAfrican possessions far astern. Unless anything untoward occurred,another four hours would bring her within sight of Malta.
"You might cast your eye over the signal log-book before you take on,"remarked Bramsdean.
Kenyon did so. Evidently the wireless operator had been kept busilyemployed, for there were dozens of messages wishing the "Golden Hind"bon voyage. But amongst them were two of a different nature. Oneannounced that an American airship "Eagle," under the command ofCommodore Theodore Nye, had left Tampa Town bound for Colon, followed bya supplementary message that the "Eagle" had left the Panama Canal zoneand was last sighted flying in a westerly direction. Making allowancefor the difference in New York and Greenwich times, both the "GoldenHind" and her Yankee rival had started practically simultaneously fromtheir respective points of departure for the actual race.
The second wireless message, transmitted via Vancouver, Newfoundland,and Poldu, was to the effect that the "Banzai," the Japanese quadruplanepiloted by Count Hyashi, had started from Nagasaki at a speed estimatedat two hundred and twenty miles an hour.
"Artful blighter, that Jap," declared Bramsdean. "He's kept his designcarefully up his sleeve till the last moment. We thought he wasattempting the flight in an airship, but he's pinned his faith to agigantic quadruplane."
"Two hundred and twenty miles an hour, too," added Kenyon. "That meanshe'll do the whole trip in less than 120 hours of actual flying, unlesssomething goes wrong with his 'bus. My word, some speed!"
"What I'd like to know is his petrol consumption, and how much juicedoes his 'bus carry," remarked Bramsdean, thoughtfully. "By Jove!We're up against something, old son."
"By the by, I see there's no news of Fritz," said Kenneth.
"Not a word," replied Peter. "Von Sinzig evidently thinks that it's tooearly to start bragging. We'll hear either from or of him before night.Fosterdyke is trying to call him up by wireless and tell him that he hasa friend of his on board."
"Oh, that greasy merchant!" rejoined Kenneth. "How did he get on?"
"Played 'possum," answered Bramsdean. "Fosterdyke tried to put the windup him, but it was a frost. I'd like to know what he did to the shackleon the mooring-buoy."
"You think he cast us adrift?"
"Without a doubt, old bird."
Kenyon shook his head doubtfully.
"He might have been simply fishing when the pin drew and he got whiskedaloft," he suggested. "Did he give his name or any particulars?"
"Not he," replied Peter. "In fact he wasn't asked. Fosterdyke went forhim bald-headed and tried to make him admit that he was in von Sinzig'spay. But nothin' doin', even when we made out that we were going todrop him overboard. Well, cheerio, old thing."
Left in charge of the airship, Kenyon pondered over the problem ofwhether the man he had rescued had really been a secret agent of vonSinzig or otherwise. If he were, then it would be almost a foregoneconclusion that he spoke German.
Kenneth had plenty of time for reflection during his "trick." The"Golden Hind" was making good progress. There was little or no wind,and her drift was in consequence almost imperceptible; while thetemperature was so constant that there was no necessity to alter thevolume of brodium in the ballonets for hours at a stretch. The motors,too, ran like clockwork, and beyond attending to the semi-automaticlubricators occasionally, the air-mechanics on duty had little to do.Fosterdyke, having paid a brief visit to the navigating room, retired tohis cabin to make up arrears of sleep.
"Might work," soliloquised Kenneth, reflectively. "I'll tackleFosterdyke about it next time I come across him."
At four in the afternoon Malta was passed at a distance of ten miles tothe south'ard. The "Golden Hind" was doing well, maintaining more thanher normal cruising speed. If she were able to keep on at that rate shewould accomplish the voyage of circumnavigation well under the twentydays; but that was now but a secondary consideration. At all costs vonSinzig's Z64 must be overhauled.
The "Golden Hind's" first stop was at Alexandria, sixteen hours afterleaving Gibraltar. She made a faultless landing on sandy spit thatseparates Lake Mareotis from the Mediterranean. The time of her arrivalhad been notified by wireless, and all preparations had been made forher reception. Keenly interested Tommies manned the trail ropes andsecured her firmly to anchors buried in the sand; lorries laden withpetrol and oil were rushed to the spot, and the work of refuelling beganwithout delay. While Fosterdyke and Kenyon were signing the "controlcertificate" and holding an informal reception of almost the whole ofthe British Colony at Alexandria, Bramsdean remained in charge of theairship.
In order to keep back the dense crowd, composed of fellaheen, Copts,Arabs, Syrians, and representatives of every nation bordering on theMediterranean, strong picquets of British troops were posted round thetethered airship, no unauthorised person being permitted to approachwithin a hundred yards of the "Golden Hind"; while to enable the work ofrefuelling to proceed as rapidly as possible, the improvised aerodromewas brilliantly illuminated by portable searchlights mounted on motorlorries.
It seemed as if it would be impossible for any suspicious characters toapproach the airship without being detected. Having once been "bitten,"Fosterdyke was not taking chances in that direction.
No attempt had been made to get rid of Enrico Jaures. Closely watchedby a couple of the crew, he was even permitted to view the proceedingsfrom an open scuttle in one of the compartments on the starboard side.
When everything was in readiness to resume the voyage, Fosterdyke andKenyon shook hands with their entertainers and crossed the guardedsquare. As they approached the entry port on the starboard side a darkfigure suddenly appeared from behind an unattended lorry, and at adistance of ten paces fired half a dozen shots in rapid successionstraight at the baronet.
Almost at the first report Fosterdyke threw himself at full length uponthe sand. Kenyon, without hesitation, rushed upon the would-be assassin,while two of the crew, leaping from the fuselage, promptly seized themiscreant and deprived him of his automatic pistol.
"Hurt, sir?" asked Kenyon, anxiously.
"Not a bit of it," replied Sir Reginald coolly. "That fellow couldn'thit a haystack at five yards. Bring him along, men."
An agitated member of the Egyptian Civil Service, accompanied by acouple of staff officers, hurried up, and after making inquiries andlearning that Fosterdyke was unhurt, suggested, not without good reason,that the would-be assassin should be handed over to the civil powers fortrial.
The baronet airily swept aside the suggestion.
"Sorry, Vansittart," he said; "but I'm not going to waste precious timeappearing as a prosecutor in this business. No, I'm not exactlyprofessing to take the law into my own hands, but I propose taking thegentleman with me. If he tried to shoot me, surely I can jolly wellkidnap him. 'Tany rate, possession's nine points of the law. When I've
done with him you can deal with him."
"But, dash it all, man!" exclaimed one of the staff officers; "youaren't going to--to----"
"Hang him? Not much," declared the baronet. "Return good for evil sortof thing, you know. Don't get flustered, Vansittart. He's mine, andwe're just off."
Happening to glance up as he entered the fuselage, Fosterdyke caughtsight of Enrico Jaures, who had seen the whole incident through one ofthe windows.
"Birds of a feather," he soliloquised. "However, I don't suppose we'llpick up pals of this sort at every place we touch. All ready, Kenyon?"he enquired, raising his voice. "Right-o; let go."